This list of Western Governors University people includes notable alumni and honorary degree recipients affiliated with Western Governors University.
| Recipient | Year/degree [7] |
|---|---|
| Bob Bennett | 2002 honorary doctorate |
| Éric Benhamou | 2002 honorary doctorate |
| Jim Geringer | 2002 honorary doctorate |
| Eric Schmidt | 2002 honorary doctorate |
| Mike Leavitt | 2003 honorary degree |
| Rod Paige | 2005 honorary doctorate |
| Roy Romer | 2006 honorary degree |
| Michael Enzi | 2007 honorary degree |
| Dr. Clara Lovett | 2008 honorary degree |
| Scott McNealy | 2009 honorary degree |
| Jamie Merisotis | 2011 honorary degree |
| Robert Mendenhall | 2017 honorary degree |
Lee Irwin Fisher is an American attorney, politician, and academic. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 64th lieutenant governor of Ohio under governor Ted Strickland from 2007 until 2011. He has served as Dean of Cleveland State University College of Law since 2017.
Regis University is a private Jesuit university in Denver, Colorado. Founded in 1877 by the Society of Jesus, the university offers more than 120 degrees through 5 colleges in a variety of subjects, including education, liberal arts, business, nursing, and technology. It is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
Western Governors University (WGU) is a private, non-profit online university based in Millcreek, Utah, United States. The university uses an online competency-based learning model, providing advanced education for working professionals. Degrees awarded by WGU are accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). The university was founded by 19 U.S. governors in 1997, after the idea was formulated at a 1995 meeting of the Western Governors Association to expand education offerings to the internet.
The Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs is a graduate school at the University of Texas at Austin that was founded in 1970. The school offers training in public policy analysis and administration in government and public affairs-related areas of the private and nonprofit sectors. Degree programs include a Master of Public Affairs (MPAff), a mid-career MPAff sequence, 16 MPAff dual degree programs, a Master of Global Policy Studies (MGPS), eight MGPS dual degree programs, an Executive Master of Public Leadership, and a Ph.D. in public policy.
Robert Winton Mendenhall is an American educational technologist best known as the president from 1999 to 2016 of Western Governors University (WGU).
Paul Ray is an American businessman, politician, and former law enforcement officer who served as a member of the Utah House of Representatives. A member of the Republican Party, Ray represented the 13th district covering a portion of Davis County, Utah.
William Quincy Davis is a Democratic member of the Illinois House of Representatives, representing the 30th District since January 8, 2003. He is a member of the Illinois House Legislative Black Caucus.
Deb Cherry is a former Democratic member of the Michigan Senate, representing the 26th district until she was elected Genesee County treasurer in 2010. Her district included parts of Genesee and Oakland counties. Previously she was a member of the Michigan House of Representatives from 1995 to 2000. Her brother John D. Cherry was the Lieutenant Governor of Michigan, and her nephew John Cherry III has been in the Michigan Legislature since 2019.
Brian Nelson Calley is an American politician who served as the 63rd lieutenant governor of Michigan from 2011 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he was previously elected to the Michigan House of Representatives from 2007 to 2011.
Laura Jeanne Kelly is an American politician serving since 2019 as the 48th governor of Kansas. A member of the Democratic Party, she represented the 18th district in the Kansas Senate from 2005 to 2019. Kelly was elected governor in 2018, defeating Republican nominee Kris Kobach. She was reelected in 2022, narrowly defeating Republican nominee Derek Schmidt.
James Ward is a Democratic former member of the Kansas House of Representatives, who represented the 86th district from 2013 to 2021. He was first elected to seat 88 in 2003 and served as the House Minority Leader from 2017 to 2019, succeeded by Representative Tom Sawyer as of January 14, 2019. Ward ran for the 28th district of the Kansas Senate against incumbent Mike Petersen but was defeated.
Estelle B. Richman is a former American government official, who served as the secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare from 2003 to 2009. She currently works as the chair for the Center for Health Care Strategies.
WGU Indiana is a private, non-profit online school established by the state of Indiana to expand access to higher education for Indiana residents, which is a branch campus of Western Governors University. Formed by a partnership between the state and Western Governors University, the university offers more than 50 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in Business, Information Technology, Teacher Education, and Health Professions, including Nursing. As of May 31, 2016, it served roughly 4,500 students across the state of Indiana. WGU Indiana was established through an executive order on June 14, 2010 by Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels, as a partnership between the state and Western Governors University in an effort to expand access to higher education for Indiana residents and increase the percentage of the state's adult population with education beyond high school. The mission of WGU Indiana is to expand access to affordable higher education for Indiana residents through online degree programs that address key workforce needs. WGU Indiana is a wholly owned subsidiary of Western Governors University, which was founded in 1997 by 19 U.S. governors to expand access to higher education through online degree programs. Today, Western Governors University is a national university, with more than 70,000 students from all 50 U.S. states as of June 30, 2016. Non-profit but self-sustaining on tuition, WGU Indiana provides new educational opportunities for Indiana residents without ongoing state subsidy. WGU Indiana accepts applications only from residents in the state of Indiana. There is no minimum high school grade point average for admission, and no minimum score on the SAT or ACT. However, all applicants must pass an admissions examination administered by the university.
Ronald Gene Estes is an American politician who has been the U.S. representative for Kansas's 4th congressional district since April 2017. A member of the Republican Party, he served as Kansas State Treasurer from 2011 to 2017.
Joshua Booth Green is an American politician and physician who has served since 2022 as the ninth governor of Hawaii. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 15th lieutenant governor of Hawaii from 2018 to 2022, a member of the Hawaii Senate from 2008 to 2018, and a member of the Hawaii House of Representatives from 2004 to 2008.
Bryan George Steil is an American attorney, businessman, and Republican politician from Janesville, Wisconsin. He is a member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Wisconsin's 1st congressional district since 2019. In the 118th Congress, he is chair of the House Administration Committee. Prior to his election to Congress, he served as a member of the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents.
Lynn Wayne Rogers is an American politician and businessman who served as the 41st Kansas State Treasurer from 2021 to 2023. He previously served as the 51st lieutenant governor of Kansas from 2019 to 2021. A Democrat, he had previously served on the board of Wichita Public Schools from 2001 to 2017, and in the Kansas Senate representing the 25th district in west Wichita from 2017 to 2019.
Jeannette Rosita Young is an Australian medical doctor and administrator who is currently Governor of Queensland, since 1 November 2021. Before being sworn in as Governor, Young was Chief Health Officer of Queensland from 2005 to 2021.
Connie Keogh is an American politician and educator serving as a member of the Montana House of Representatives from the 91st district. Elected in November 2018, she assumed office on January 7, 2019.
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